


Our Very First Story

by Platinum_Sun_490



Series: Team Fortress: Next Generation [3]
Category: Team Fortress 2
Genre: Angst, F/F, F/M, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Father-Daughter Relationship, Father-Son Relationship, I always hate putting tags in, Inspired by Full House (US), M/M, Mother-Daughter Relationship, Mother-Son Relationship, RED and BLU teams are friends
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-18
Updated: 2020-02-18
Packaged: 2021-02-27 19:02:07
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,642
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22780702
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Platinum_Sun_490/pseuds/Platinum_Sun_490
Summary: Years after their contracts with Mann Co. ended, the mercs of both teams, RED and BLU went off to live their own lives. Many went off together to start lives with their children while others decided to just enjoy their newfound peace.This is a story of how some of those team members got back together for a bunch of crazy adventures, all under one roof.
Relationships: BLU Heavy/BLU Medic, BLU Sniper/BLU Spy, Demoman/OC, Miss Pauling/Scout (Team Fortress 2), RED Engineer/RED Soldier, RED Medic/OC, RED Pyro/OC, RED Sniper/RED Spy
Series: Team Fortress: Next Generation [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1517216
Kudos: 5





	Our Very First Story

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Lu_undy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lu_undy/gifts).



One sunny morning, in Mundy (RED Sniper) and Lucien’s (RED Spy) cozy three story French apartment, Mundy was getting the last bit of laundry put up while Lucien stepped out of the kitchen. Carol, their seven year old daughter, was sitting on the couch with a plush owl in her arms. She watched apprehensively as her parents hurried around the house in a mixed blur, wrapped up in the tangled up knots of their own minds.

“Daddy, why are we doing this again?” Carol hugged her toy tighter and stroked some of the soft feathers into place. The plush had been bought when she was seven months old, but Carol still loved it more than any other toy she had. That’s because it was the first toy they had ever given her.

Mundy stopped running around to look at his daughter. “Mrs. Pauling said she and the other members of the old team needed a place to stay while they make sure some…old bad guys aren’t keeping an eye on us.”

Carol frowned in worry. Carol knew her fathers used to be mercenaries, and she knew that when you stopped the job, that didn’t mean those you used to fight stopped. They were “bad men”, as Carol had labeled them. They were bad and they caused pain.

Lucien saw this, and sat down by his daughter’s side. “You needn’t worry,  _ ma papillon _ . We are going to be fine. Things will work out. Your friends are moving in, and our old friends are moving in as well. You know what that means? You’re going to have some new roommates! Isn't that exciting?”

[You needn’t worry, my butterfly.]

Carol raised an eyebrow. “Do oi have to share my room with everyone?”

“No, sweetheart. Only the girls are going to be staying with you. The adults will have their own rooms, and so will the boys.” Mundy sat down on his daughter’s other side after finishing the laundry.

“That’s still a lot,” Carol mumbled as she picked at some fuzz on her owl’s head.

Just then, a knock at the door sounded off. Mundy trotted up to it and opened it quickly to reveal Dell (RED Engineer) and Joe (RED Soldier) standing there with their five year old son, Dell Jr. The young boy was sitting patiently in his custom made wheelchair with a shy look on his face. Lieutenant Bites, Joe’s pet raccoon, was nestled in the boy’s lap, purring with delight as Dell Jr stroked its back.

Dell and Joe, for once, weren’t wearing the Mann Co uniforms Mundy and Lucien had grown so accustomed to seeing everyday. Instead, Dell was wearing a plaid shirt with overalls and Joe wore a sky blue work shirt with dirty jeans.

“G’day, fellas! Come on in.” Mundy ushered them in and grabbed some of their bags while nodding with a smile at Dell Jr. Lucien stood to greet his old friends with a handshake, but he was pulled into a hug by Joe.

“Good to see fellow American friends, friend! Thank you for allowing us to stay here under the dark times of the enemy!” Joe shouted as he hugged tighter. Lucien couldn’t breathe that well, so he quickly wrenched himself out of the man’s hold and straightened his tie. “Good to see you too, Joe.”

Dell Jr rolled his wheelchair into the house and stopped beside Carol, who was still sitting on the couch with her owl plush. Her vibrant amber eyes trained onto Dell Jr’s pale brown ones. They nodded at each other, then Carol decided she didn’t like the silence.

“You excited about this whole move?” she asked. Dell Jr, who was a kid of many words and phrases, shook his head and fidgeted with his fingers, which had almost every finger covered in multicolored band-aids. Lieutenant Bites squeaked in protest at Dell Jr stopping, so the boy continued to pet it.

Carol snickered slightly at the idea of having a raccoon for a pet, stood up, and pushed his wheelchair to an alcove that was behind the couch. Carol looked around until she found what she was looking for, her favorite Rubix cube. Taking it off the shelf, she mixed it up a bit, then handed it to Dell Jr, who started solving it within seconds.  Just then, someone knocked at the door again. Before Mundy could answer it, Joe toppled him to the ground. He sat up with a steely gaze while Mundy laid face down, sprawled out on the floor. “Wait a minute, son! That could be the enemy!! You never open the door for the enemy!”

“No offense, love, but you always open the door when Merasmus comes over, and he’s an enemy,” Dell pointed out. Joe was about to argue, but he just closed his mouth and opened the door while Mundy peeled himself off the floor.

Liam (RED Scout) and Norma (Mrs. Pauling), along with their adopted eight year old son, Harlem, were standing there with bags filled with their things for the stay. Tavish (RED Demo) and Nikki, Tavish’s five year old daughter, were with them as well.

Eyes landing Carol, Nikki ran over to her with a squeal and tackled the poor girl into a tight hug. “Carol! I missed ye so much!! Did ye miss me?”

“If oi say yes, will ya stop strangling me?!” Carol growled as she squirmed in the Scottish girl’s grip. Harlem snickered at the girls, then sat beside Dell Jr, who was cuddling with Lieutenant Bites, who was wide awake and partially buried in the front pocket of the boy’s overalls.

“Hey! Look alive, people! We have arrived!” Liam announced with a cocky grin. He stepped inside with a grand flourish, almost tripping over his own two feet. Lucien rolled his eyes, but his smile was genuine as he shook hands with Liam and hugged Mrs. Pauling. 

Tavish clapped a hand on Liam’s back. “How it been, lad? Has Harlem’s tooth come in yet?”

Liam replied, “Nah.”

“That's okay; one less to brush.” Tavish set his bags down on the floor and looked over at Nikki, who was still hugging the life out of Carol. He chuckled with a shake of his head, stepping over to help them.

Mundy, who was still reeling from Joe’s tackle, tapped Mrs. Pauling’s shoulder. “You missed breakfast; where have you been?”

Mrs. Pauling sighed heavily, moved some hair out of her face, rubbed her eyes, then looked back up at the Australian. “I know. I had gotten a call from the Administrator, and she said the old base was now off limits. We should stay away from it, just in case someone might be snooping around there.”

Mundy raised an eyebrow. “So, keep doing what we’ve been doing for the past few years?” Mrs. Pauling chuckled softly. “Pretty much.”

Over with the kids, Tavish was hugging his daughter close after successfully prying her off of Carol, who was curled up on the bay window with her owl plush tight within her grasp. She was glaring at Nikki, who didn’t seem to notice or mind.

Nikki turned to face her dad, saying, “Daddy, let's play Ballerina.”

“What’s Ballerina?” Liam asked as he situated some of the bags in his arms. Tavish turned, but his old teammates could still see the faint blush on his cheeks. “Don’t tease me fer this, but Ballerina be a little game Nikki likes tae play. She wants tae be a ballerina when she grows up.”

“Alright, pumpkin. Up we go.” Tavish lifted her up into his arms and spun around. He then lifted Nikki up, then dipped her, causing her to erupt into giggles. Setting her down, Tavish nuzzled his forehead against hers. “Thank ye for the dance, wee lass.”

Lucien and Liam couldn’t help but chuckle at Tavish’s actions. Ever since he started taking care of Nikki, he was more of a social and open person who didn’t drink his weight in alcohol everyday.

Before anyone could do anything, two red headed eight year old toddlers, a boy and a girl, ran into the house with miniature half face gas masks strapped over their mouths and noses. Their bright eyes and the upper section of their heads were the only things visible. They had on torn, slightly dirty shirts and overalls, along with mud covered shoes. RED Pyro walked in with three duffel bags in his arms. His expression was impossible to tell from being hidden behind his mask, but some of the adults could tell he was relieved to have arrived.

Mundy came to stand beside Lucien, who had lit a cigarette. “Maybe I should just leave the doors wide open. Let anyone walk in.” Lucien laughed at his husband’s joke, then looked up when he saw Mikael (BLU Heavy) and Rudolf (BLU Medic) come in with their three year old daughter, Greta, with only four bags. Angel and Augustus (RED Medic) appeared behind them with their ten year old twins, Annalise and Ryker, holding their hands and eagerly waiting to come inside.

“Bugger…Maybe Carol was roight about this being a lot,” Mundy mumbled.

* * *

Later that day, Lucien led Liam, Pyro, Dell, and Augustus to their new rooms. The second floor, which had five bedrooms with three bathrooms, was going to be the floor that the adults would sleep on. The third floor was for the kids.

For some reason, Mikael and Rudolf decided to room in the basement, probably because of the large amount of space it provided. Greta’s crib would be put down there as well as the parent’s bed and things.

Pyro took the attic. There wasn’t much up there, aside from a few packed boxes and some old furniture, but he made due. He was also a surprisingly good interior decorator. Within minutes, he could make the attic look like a five star hotel room with just a few tools and some duct tape, somehow.

Lucien opened the door to Liam and Mrs. Pauling’s new room. “I hope this is to your satisfaction.” The room was a dark blue with white trim at the bottom of the floor and the ceiling. It had oakwood floors and a small bay window that had a lovely view of a park just down the road. The bed was a queen size bed with a large seashell quilt and dark blue sheets.

Liam set his bags down beside the vanity, which had an oval shaped mirror and plenty of space for many items. “It’s great. A lot better than where we used to live…Look, Spy—Argh! Lucien! Sorry. I just want you to know that I’m grateful, I’m eternally grateful for what you’re doing for my family. Ya didn’t have to help us out, but ya did it anyway, despite how our last conversation didn’t end so well.”

Lucien smiled sadly at Liam and placed a hand on his shoulder. He gripped it tightly, but as a sign of comfort. “I am happy to do what I can, my friend. You needed help, so my family and I stepped up to the plate. You can stay for as long as you need to. We may have our differences, and there is a lot of that, but we are still friends, Liam.”

* * *

Meanwhile, Carol was leading the girls to her room. It was a spacious room, almost as big as the living room and kitchen combined. It was dark red, not the typical color a little girl’s room color would be, with swirly white patterns across it, like the vines of freshly grown grapes. Carol’s bed was set up against the wall, and another bed had been placed against the wall on the other side of her bay window.

On each side of her bed was a nightstand. The one on the left had a lamp and a little music box with a butterfly on top. Three instrument cases was leaning against it, violin, flute, and guitar. The other nightstand had a pile of books of all kinds, mystery, comedy, and adventure.

On each side of the bay window was a bookshelf carved into the walls, filled with many kinds of books. A long rectangular box was nestled in a small compartment that had been carved out in the bay window’s seat. A white, handmade desk was sitting against the wall near the door. It held a lamp with butterflies stitched on the shade, a cup full of pencils and pens, notebooks, and an opened sketchbook that had doodles of flowers.

Carol climbed up onto a chest in front of her bed and clapped her hands together, gaining the attention of the other girls. “Okay, my room, my rules. Rule number one: never touch my stuff. Rule number two: never set foot in my half of the room.” As she said so, Carol picked up a roll of yellow rope and tied one end to one of her bedposts. She then began to walk across the room, separating the girls from the doorway, which was on Carol’s side of the room.

“How do ve get out of here?” Annalise asked.

“Easy. You jump out the window and climb down the tree.” Carol pointed at a large willow tree in her backyard. Nikki paled at the mere thought of heights, and Annalise frowned in annoyance. “I don't zink so.”

“Suit yourself.” Carol plopped down onto her bed and opened a magazine that had been sitting on her nightstand.

Nikki looked around after glancing warily at the window again, where the willow was swaying gently in the wind. “We gotta figure something out.”

Then, Elise noticed that Carol had thick, heavy curtains hanging from her window. Setting her stuff down, Elise hopped up onto the curtains and began to shimmy across. Carol, who couldn’t help but smirk, grabbed the string that moved the curtains with one hand. Without looking up from her magazine, the young girl pulled on the string, sending Elise right back to where she started.

At that moment, Mundy, Tavish, and Angel entered the room to check on how the moving in was going. It didn’t look well. Tavish began to chuckle like a mad man at the sight of Elise hanging from the curtains like a monkey while Annalise just hurried over to her mother and clung to her leg like a monkey. Mundy stepped over the rope and asked, “Elise, whot are ya doing?”

“Mmpphh pph mphh,” she said through her gas mask.

[Just hanging around.]

Mundy took Elise by the waist and took off the curtains, saying, “Come on, honey, get down from there.” He then set her down on the edge of Carol’s bed, causing Mundy’s daughter to glare at him, to which he didn’t notice.

“Momma, vhy are zere only two beds? Vhere are ze rest of us supposed to sleep?” Annalise looked up at her mother with expecting heterochromatic eyes.

Angel sighed with a smile. “You and Nikki will be sharing the extra bed, honey. Elise will be sharing Carol’s bed.”

“Whot?! Oi didn’t hear about this! First my room, then my own bloody bed?! This is a nightmare!!” Carol groaned as she glared at her father.

Unfortunately, Mundy didn’t hear her. “Uh, Carol, honey, I told you everything is gonna work out super great. I'm sorry. I gotta go. The restaurant’s usually full around this time of day, and I doubt the patrons are going to be happy when they don’t have their drinks. Plus, Lu’s got a performance there tonight.”

“That sounds nice, Mundy. Ooh! Maybe we could all go together and watch him sing one night!” Angel suggested with bright eyes. Annalise, sensing her mother’s excitement, happily agreed as Elise and Nikki smiled at each other.

With that, Mundy walked out, taking down the rope barrier as he left. Carol crossed her arms in silent anger. Of course, her voice was unheard and the conversation had been turned into a stereotypical chit chat between plastic people.

* * *

Ethan hummed as he set his duffel bag onto the bed. It was the first time he and his family had found a place where the roof was intact and wasn’t vermin infested. while coming down the hallway, they had even seen a bathroom! It didn’t have a hole in the middle of the floor!! It was going to be nice staying here.

As he began to take out his clothes, he noticed that Dell Jr wasn’t unpacking. The young boy was staring out the window with a sunken, almost empty expression. Looking over at Ryker and Harlem, who also noticed Dell Jr’s state, Ethan stepped over to his friend and leaned over his shoulder to see what he was looking at.  He was looking out at a large backyard that had a garden near the edge. It was an enclosed space with vines and bushes growing high over an average adult’s head. Carol was coming out from the back porch and disappeared through an oak wood door that was partially hidden behind some bushes that grew five feet high.

Ethan raised an eyebrow, then pushed Dell Jr’s wheelchair out the door with Harlem and Ryker following their heels. As soon as they exited their room, the girls came out of theirs. Most likely thinking the same thing, the group of friends hurried downstairs and ran out the back door.

Ryker and Nikki held the door open while the others slipped into the garden. They walked down a clean cut, narrow path that had stones laid out, like a walkway. They reached the end of the stone path, which revealed a wide, open space, like the ones in fairytales.

Rows of lines made out of shrubs separated different kinds of flowers. They encircled a freshly cut spot of grass that was perfect for picnics and playing. Lilies of white, yellow, pink, red, and orange grew in one cluster with handfuls of Queen Anne’s Lace beside them.

Tulips of maroon, black, purple, cream, and red grew closest to the crystal clear waters of a goldfish pond that was near the entrance of the garden. It had water lilies and lily pads floating in it, and every now and then the kids could see three or four koi fish, flashing shades of orange, white, and black, through the water. On the other side of the pond were rose bushes, vibrantly in bloom.

Then, the kids saw Carol. She had changed out from her previous play clothes to a navy blue, white flowered dress that was buttoned up all the way from the bottom to the top. Her hair was now flowing over her shoulders in soft waves, like an ocean lapping at a beach.

She seemed to be making a bracelet out of Lily of the Valley flowers. She hadn’t noticed them enter. Before anyone could say anything, someone called out to Carol. “ _ Encore une fois, sale australien? _ ”

[Brooding again, filthy Aussie?]

Her face settling into a seething scowl, Carol slowly looked up from her flowers to glare at a young boy. He was leaning over a stone wall that separated his yard from hers. He had fairly light skin with sandy blonde hair and vibrant blue eyes. Despite being so young, he was very handsome. He was wearing what seemed to be a black turtleneck with a light jacket and a scarf tied around his neck.

The boy leaned over the wall a little more with an absolute shit-eating grin that made Carol’s blood boil in annoyance. “Talking from experience, snobby frenchie?”

The boy’s smirk twitched a bit, but he didn’t lose his cool. He cocked his head to the side and replied in a very thick French accent, “Good to see you too, Carol. Have the other guests arrived?”

The young girl nodded with a firm jawline. She went back to her bracelet, trying to ignore the boy when he said, “Tis a bit strange, non? RED and BLU under the same roof, not fighting…You don’t think those…bad men will find us?”

Carol hesitated, but she quickly shook her head, finished the last weave of her bracelet, and put it on. The little flowers moved like bells in the wind, and if you listened closely, you could almost hear a jingling sound.

“I guess your family has nothing to worry about. They can just jarate and backstab anyone that comes near you.” Carol looked impossibly angry. A vein or two was bulging on her forehead and some of the kids were pretty sure her eyes had turned into slits. Gerard smirked. Once again, he had gotten under her skin. She clenched her fists, most likely ready to make a strike, but Nikki suddenly ran forward and grabbed her friend’s arm.

“No, Carol. It’s not nice ta hit!” Carol was surprised at the sight of her friends in her secret spot, but she made a mental nod of laying down some rules about that later. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the boy look surprised. He seemed especially trained on Annalise, who was staring as well. “Seems you have some…guests,” he said with amusement lacing his tone.

“Carol, who’s this?” Ryker asked. He sounded curious, but he looked angry. He understood French, so he had understood what the boy had called her. Carol sighed before holding out a hand, as if she were unveiling some surprise to them. “Mates, this is Gerard Bisset, the son of Jean, the BLU Spy, and Patrick, the BLU Sniper. He’s also a  _ cul pompeux qui n'a aucun respect _ .”

[He’s also a pompous ass who has no respect.]

“Carol, you wound me. I do have respect…just not for you.” Carol would’ve lunged at him and clawed his throat out if the others hadn’t held her back. Annalise strode towards the wall and looked up at the boy with a curious expression, matching her father’s. “Vhy are you und your family living over zere? Veren’t you supposed to live over here vith us?”

“I’d rather die than live under the same roof of that snobby, stuck up, pain in the-” Ethan covered Carol’s mouth with wide eyes.

Annalise turned back to Gerard, who was staring at her intensely. He quickly cleared his throat and blushed slightly. “Well, to answer your question, my family was asked to join your home, but my parents declined when they learned of how many were going to be living there. We decided to live in this house right next door. It has more than enough room for me, my sister, and my parents.”

“Who be your sister?” Nikki asked. As she asked, a voice said, “ _ Grand frère! Pouvez-vous me lever, s'il vous plaît? _ ”

[Big brother! Can you lift me up, please?]

Gerard’s face lit up with love and admiration as he leaned down for a second, then came back up, this time with a little girl who looked to be seven. She had a light skin tone with sandy blonde hair that reached her earlobes in a bob. Her button nose and round, droopy blue eyes were cute features for such a little one.

She smiled when she saw Carol, despite the girl being held down by a bunch of random kids. “ _ Salut _ , Carol.”

[Hi, Carol.]

Carol waved back with a muffled “hello”. Ethan uncovered Carol’s mouth, and the others let her go. She walked over to ruffle the little girl’s head, earning a giggle. Gerard beamed lovingly at the little girl, then said, “Everyone, this is my adorable, beautiful, smart, and talented little sister, Audrey Bisset.”

“We get it, we get it. You love your sister.” Carol rolled her eyes, to which Gerard ignored. Carol looked at her friends, then said, “Audrey and Gerard are related, and they were both adopted by Jean and Patrick. They also go to my school. You’ll see them there.” She leaned in close to add one more thing. “Just keep your distance when you see Gerard.”

Gerard rolled his eyes with a scowl, then grinned wide when Audrey handed him a little purple flower that had been growing on the vines that crawled up and down the stone wall. Just then, a tall, lean man with long blonde hair and pale blue eyes came out of the house with a cigarette in between his lips and wearing a crisp blue suit. “Audrey, Gerard! It’s time for lunch.”

“Coming,  _ Père _ !”

[Coming, Father!]

Gerard took one last look at Carol, then Annalise, before helping his sister down and climbing down himself. The group waited a couple of seconds in silence, then headed back inside. Carol looked at how starry-eyed Annalise was the whole time she had been talking to Gerard. “Don’t get any ideas,” the Australian girl said snarkily.

Annalise just smiled at her friend and walked beside her back to the house.

* * *

Later that day, Rudolf and Mikael were sitting in the living room with a fussy Greta in Mikael’s lap. The room around them was covered in dirty clothes and toys of all kinds. Just then, Mundy and Lucien came back from work.  “So,  _ mon amour _ , I was thinking of singing “Smile” by Jimmy Durante next—Whoa!! What happened here? Where did all these dirty baby clothes come from?” As he asked this, the doorbell rang.

Mikael grimaced with a sheepish look. “Mikael is sorry, but every time we feed her, drool, dribble, or spit up.”

“She’s a little picky,” Rudolf added. Mundy nodded absentmindedly as he went to open the door. No one was there, but a crisp white envelope was sitting on the Welcome mat. He picked it up, read who it was from, then turned to his husband with worry very evident in his eyes. “It’s from the Administrator.”

Lucien reached for it, but the sounds of shouting children made him stop. Harlem and Dell Jr raced by with Harlem riding on the back of Dell Jr’s wheelchair. Elise and Ethan were chasing them, shouting muffled battle cries with Ryker right behind. Annalise was speed walking to keep up while her nose was ten feet deep in a book. Nikki trotted in a few seconds later, then hurried over to Lucien.

“Uncle Lu!! Let’s play Ballerina!” She held out her arms expectantly, making grabbing motions towards him. Lucien really wished Tavish and Angel hadn’t gone grocery shopping with Liam and Mrs. Pauling. He was a little uncomfortable about doing something Nikki was more used to doing with her father.

“Um, I am afraid I cannot play right now, sweetie. Why don’t you ask Carol to play with you?”

Nikki shook her head, her chocolate brown curls swatting her face. “I can't. She been moved out.”

For a second, Carol’s fathers didn’t register the sentence because all the other things on their mind, then it sunk in. It made Mundy and Lucien stop dead in their tracks. Mundy turned to Nikki with wide eyes. “Nikki, what do you mean, "She moved out"?”

Nikki, who didn’t realize the severity of the situation, smiled innocently. “She be gone. She rolled up her rope barrier and took off.” Mundy and Lucien shared a worried look before Mundy pointed at the ceiling. “Everyone, upstairs, NOW!”

Just seconds later, everyone, parents and kids, were standing in Carol’s bedroom, where most of her stuff was gone. Her clothes weren’t in her closet, her sheets and quilts weren’t on the bed, and her books and toys were missing as well. The three instrument cases from before were gone, faded dusty spots on the floor showing where they used to be.

Lucien found her plush owl by her nightstand and he gripped it closely with tears in his eyes. Normally, Lucien had his emotions under wraps, what with him being THE Spy and all, but time had changed him. Raising a child had changed him. Where was his daughter? What happened to her? Was she okay? Was she hurt? How far did she run away? Every question brought bigger, warmer tears to Lucien’s eyes. He brought a hand to his mouth to muffle a worried sob. Augustus saw this, so he laid a hand on his shoulder and rubbed his back, comforting his friend the best he could.

“You lost our daughter? Lu and I go to work for seven hours, and even with all you people here, you still lose our daughter?!” Mundy’s voice had begun to rise through his rant, making a few of the parents pull their kids close. Even his appearance was threatening. His canines were bared and some of his hair had actually risen, like an animal about to strike.

Not giving anyone any time to answer, Mundy turned to Lucien, who was biting his bottom lip to hold back the tears. “Lucien, call the police. Dell and Joe, start driving around the neighborhood. I'm gonna call up Carol's friends.”

The others were about to offer help, but Nikki suddenly said, “I'll go get Carol,” making them all stop and turn back to her.

“Nikki…” Mrs. Pauling started with a sweet smile.

Nikki responded with another innocent smile. “Yes, Aunty Pauling?”

“Sweetheart, do you know where Carol is?” Mrs. Pauling asked as she bent down to the little girl’s height. Nikki nodded her head.

“Why didn't you say something sooner, Sheila?” Mundy asked in an annoyed tone. Lucien was beside him with a hopeful expression. He couldn’t help but laugh as Nikki replied, “Nobody asked me.”

* * *

Nikki led the group down to the garage, where Carol had set up a cot and had rearranged the small opening in their home as her new bedroom. She seemed to be on the phone with someone. Seeing his daughter safe and sound, Lucien leapt towards her and engulfed the girl in a tight hug. “Carol!  _ Mon papillon!! Tu es en sécurité! Est-ce que tu vas bien?! _ ” Lucien said as he hugged her close.

[Carol! My butterfly!! You are safe! Are you alright?!]

Carol physically relaxed in her father’s hold, but she said nothing. She wriggled out of Lucien’s hug to turn to the telephone and say, “Hang on, Audrey. I'm talking to Audrey, Papa. She called me on her own phone from her own room.” She raised her eyebrows, as if trying to make a point.

Sitting beside Lucien, Mundy sighed as he frowned at his daughter. He was glad she was okay, but he was far from happy about what she had done. “Carol, you’re being ridiculous ‘bout this whole “moving in” thing. You don’t wanna live in the garage. It’s dirty and stuffy…”

Carol shrugged. “You want some fresh air?” She picked up a small white remote on a crate next to her cot and pushed a button, allowing the garage door to open. The rest of the neighborhood was quiet as it was slowly draped with a blanket of a star filled sky. Other houses either had their lights off from being out or sleeping. Some still had their lights on, enjoying what time they had before going to bed.

Mundy had had enough. He stood up and, in a firm voice, demanded, “Carol Alice Lacroix, I want you back inside this instant.”

Carol’s eyes widened in shock. Her father had never spoken to her like this. It only made her hate the move even more. Tears filled her eyes, but she quickly bit the inside of her cheek to get rid of them and silence any sobs. She was NOT about to cry in front of a bunch of random people.

Before anyone could say anything, Annalise came trotting down the stairs. “Father, Greta is crying. She's got zat look in her eyes.”

She hurried back upstairs again with Mikael following. Augustus turned to the others. “I’m going to go help them. Rudolf, vould you mind getting some food for Herr Greta?”

“Not at all.” He followed Augustus up the stairs back into the house after giving Lucien and Mundy a sympathetic look. The others decided it was better if Mundy, Lucien, and Carol were alone for now. They quickly stepped out.

The family sat in silence for a while before Lucien said, “ _ Carol, chérie, on ne peut pas te laisser vivre dans le garage. _ ”

[Carol, honey, we cannot let you live in the garage.]

“What if I had a garage sale and gave you ten percent of the profits?” Carol offered, not even looking up from her gaze on a green band aid that covered up a scratch on her foot.

“This isn’t a joke, young lady. You had us really worried. I was about to get the police in here while your Papa nearly had a heart attack. What you did was not okay.” Mundy crossed his arms across his chest with a disapproving look, but that instantly faded away when he heard sniffles coming from Carol. She had no problem crying in front of her fathers.

“It’s not fair,” she whispered before bursting into sobs. Lucien immediately pulled Carol into his embrace. He kissed her head and brushed her hair out of her eyes while whispering comforting words in French in her ear. Mundy felt the swell of anger in his chest fizzle out, like putting water on a smoldering fire. He hadn’t meant to make his daughter cry. He had just been worried like mad when Nikki had said she moved out.

“ _ Mon chéri _ , it is alright. You don't need to cry.” Lucien hugged her closer and handed the plush owl to her, which she took and hugged it close.

“No, it’s not alright. It's just not fair. First, I lose my parents; then, I lose my room; now, I even lose my own bed? Everything keeps disappearing.”

“What do you mean, you lost your parents? We’re still right here,” Mundy said as he gestured to himself and Lucien, who looked just as confused.

Carol sniffled as she looked down into the dark brown eyes of her plush owl. “That’s not what I meant.”

It was then that Lucien and Mundy realized the same thing at the same time. Carol had meant her birth parents. Even though she was still very young, she knew it wasn’t possible for two men to conceive, so she must’ve come from somewhere.  They had talked about this when Carol was old enough to understand, but they never realized that the talk left boiling emotions inside their daughter’s heart. She had been suffering in silence for a very long time, and both men were always too busy to see that.

During this talk, the kids had come back to see Carol, now listening worriedly to the conversation her parents were having with her. Then, Nikki stood up and walked over to the other side of Carol’s cot. She wrapped her arms around the girl in a tight hug, but not as tight as before. “Don’t worry, Carol. You got me.”

Carol’s eyes widened at this as she turned to look at the Scottish girl. The others came trotting in. They surrounded Carol and her parents. Some of them rubbed Carol’s back while Elise reached over and wiped her tears away with a dirt caked hand.

Mundy smiled as he rubbed his daughter’s back. “See? You’ve got your friends, and you have your aunts and uncles. You got us. Carol, we're still a family, and now is when we really need to stick together. Your father and I, we’re really sorry for not paying enough attention to you. We’ve just been so busy with work and getting everyone settled that we didn’t even think about you or how you would feel. We’re sorry, hon. We love you, y’know that, right? You, Lucien and I, we go back a long time—seven years. The seven happiest years of our lives. So look; it's up to you. Either you move back inside, or all of us are moving into the garage, but nothing is gonna break up this team.”

Carol wiped away her tears and looked around at her friends. They were all grinning at her with wide, hopeful eyes. Even Elise and Ethan had removed their masks to show her how serious they were about loving her. “I'll move back in.”

Eyes widening with love, Lucien hugged his daughter tightly and kissed her head. “ _ Je t'aime tellement, mon petit ange _ .”

[I love you so much, my little angel.]

“ _ Je t'aime aussi, papa.” _

[I love you too, Papa.]

In the living room, Rudolf and Mikael were talking to Greta, who wasn’t fussy anymore. She seemed more occupied with trying to grab either of her fathers’ noses. Dell and Joe were in the alcove behind them, putting toys away and straightening up books. Rudolf nuzzled his nose against Greta’s nose. “Greta.  _ Kannst du "Dada" sagen? _ ”

[Greta. Can you say “Dada”?]

Greta swiped at his glasses, narrowly missing by an inch. Instead of saying what Rudolf had wanted her to say, she suddenly shouted, “Otets!” which meant “Father” in Russian, while reaching for Mikael. Rudolf’s jaw dropped, but it quickly turned into a snarl when he saw that Mikael was trying (and failing) to hide his giggles behind one of his massive hands.

“I knew it! You’ve been teaching her behind mein back!! I cannot believe it! Betrayed by mein own husband!” Mikael burst out laughing when Rudolf cuddled his daughter close and began to pout, like a child who hadn’t gotten their way. When he got control over his laughter, Mikael took his daughter in their arms and said, “Do not worry, doktor. ‘Vater’ will definitely be next word she learns how to say.”

“Doktor!” Both men stared at their daughter with wide eyes, then Rudolf face palmed while Mikael continued to laugh.

Mundy, Lucien, and Carol came up from the garage with all of the other children. With perfect timing, Tavish, Angel, Liam, and Mrs. Pauling came into the living room from the kitchen. They must’ve come in from the back door and put up the groceries. Seeing Mrs. Pauling, Lucien suddenly remembered the envelope. He picked it back up and handed it to her with slightly shaking hands.

She opened it quickly and scanned the paper, then sighed with relief. “It’s okay, nothing too serious. It just says it’s safe for the kids to go back to school in a few days.” Some cheers went off, some groans chorused.

Greta, who wasn’t old enough to go to school yet, just started to make similar noises. “Is she okay? She’s not upset, is she?” Angel asked, usual motherly instinct being brought out.

Rudolf quickly shook his head. “Oh, zere's no problem. She's singing. Greta loves music.”

Annalise perked up. “Music? Momma, c’mere.” She took her mother’s left hand while Ryker took his mother’s right. They led their mother over to the little girl, still close and happy in her father’s hold. Angel was known for her…well, angelic voice, and everyone, adult and child, loved it when she sang. Knowing what her kids wanted her to do, Angel took Greta’s tiny hands in hers and began to sing, “Ooh…Flintstones…meet the Flintstones…They're a modern stone-age family…”

She turned to everybody and motioned for them to join. “Everybody sing along!”

Augustus came up beside her with their twins in tow. The others knew how this tune went, so they joined in with big smiles. “From the…town of Bedrock, they're a page right out of history. Let's ride…with the family down the street. Through the…courtesy of Fred's two feet…When you’re with the Flintstones, we’ll have a yabba-dabba-doo time-”

Pointing at the big group of kids, Angel said, “Kids?”

“A yabba-doo time,” the kids sang together with an extra chorus of giggles.

Everyone sang together. “We’ll have a gay old time!”

“Wilma!!” Carol shouted, then giggled as Mundy tickled her sides. Everyone erupted in a chorus of laughs and giggles as Greta tried to sing the song herself.

**Author's Note:**

> This story is for The_Doktor_Medic, who has written amazing stories for the Team Fortress 2 fandom. Go check out their work, and even join the Discord they have for their stories and ideas. It'll be worth your time. Seriously.


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